Nicholson's Improved by Prowse on ebay

[Steampacket]

8-keyed Nicholson's Improved cocus wood flute made by flute maker Thomas Prowse, Hanway Street, London, circa 1840. The maker's stamp is vague but legible. The stamped number on the flute is 3570.

Nice looking flute:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-8-keyed-woo ... 2a0d8626bc

Item number: 180615521980
Item location: Portland, OR, United States

[dow]

Hmm... I wonder who did the restoration work. The embouchure has a reddish insert in it that's interesting, as is the lip plate. Nice looking flute.

[Latticino]

I saw that one earlier as well, but was put off by the changes to the head, though the rest looks great. I find the partial lip plate not particularly attractive and would have the same concerns you do about an undisclosed repair individual cutting a new embochure (from all accounts one of the key elements in a flute's "voice"). Might be a fantastic player, but that can't be determined from an e-bay ad. Looks like there is plenty of interest though, wonder what the reserve is?

[Denny]

Hmm... I wonder who did the restoration work. The embouchure has a reddish insert in it that's interesting, as is the lip plate. Nice looking flute.

Peter Noy is in Seattle, the flute is in Portland...

Someone might want to ask about who did the work.

[RudallRose]

have I missed something in the listing or somewhere, but that headpiece does not appear at all original to Prowse's work.
Is that a Noy replacement head?

[Unseen122]

Anybody else notice that this is NOT an 8 key flute? I remember reading somewhere that Nicholson did not like the long f there fore some Nicholson designed flutes have 7 keys and are missing the long f. This is the case with this flute but the seller claims it is an 8 key flute even though it is clearly a 7 key flute by looking at the pictures.

[Denny]

read

[dow]

Hmm... I wonder who did the restoration work. The embouchure has a reddish insert in it that's interesting, as is the lip plate. Nice looking flute.

Peter Noy is in Seattle, the flute is in Portland...

Someone might want to ask about who did the work.

I just sent the question. we'll see what he says.

Also, Avery is correct, I don't see a long F either. I asked about that as well in my message.

[LorenzoFlute]

Is that a Noy replacement head?

The description says that the head has a repaired crack, so maybe it is original...?

[benhall.1]

On my screen, the head clearly has pins holding a repaired crack together. You can see them very clearly. The silver lip plate looks odd for the time though, doesn't it? I mean, in that style. Could that have been added later? Plus, the insert does look like it might be new. Even so, it looks a beautiful flute. If money were no ... non, no, stop it ... but one more couldn't hurt, could it?

No!!!!!



[Fortunately, impecuniosity deriving from previous over-indulgence in sibilant pulchritude will prove my saviour in this case.]

[jemtheflute]

[Fortunately, impecuniosity deriving from previous over-indulgence in sibilant pulchritude will prove my saviour in this case.]

"Sibilant"? At least you didn't write "pneumatic", though "air-filled" would be more accurate than "hissy"!

And you'd better keep your saviour in the right case!

[benhall.1]

It's not easy finding synonyms for "flutelike" y'know.

[jemtheflute]

Save your sibilant synonyms for the silly season, sir!

[benhall.1]

I bet "your", "for" and "the" were disappointments ...

[Denny]

they were for me